Salt manufacture



Dec. 25 1923.

C. L. WEIL SALT MANUFACTURE Filed March fiavenzor 5611'- BQLZ Patented Dec. 25, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

omrins L. warn, or roar HURON, aucmoan; ELLA s. wan. 8mm anmmrs'rna- 'rnrx or sarn amass a. warm, nncnasan.

saw: muracroan Application filed March 81, 1921. Serial No. 457,436.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. Warn, a citizenof the United States, and resident of Port Huron, in the county of Saint Clair of the vacuum pan. This system has been I and State of Michigan, have inventedne'w and useful Improvements in Salt Manufacture, of which the following is a specification.

. For the purpose of meeting the demand 10 in thc'salt trade the manufacturers produ'ce salts of different degrees of fineness, one salt comprising crystals of one average size, another saltcomprising crystals of another average size, etc. In 0 her words "the salts on the market are gra ed according to the size of the crystals thereof. Inasmuch as most systems for manufacturing salt turn out a salt made up of crystals .of different sizes, this mixed salt is screened to' separate out first the larger crystals, then the intermediate crystals, etc.,'thereby to produce the salts having the desired degrecs of fineness. v According to the usual methods of salt l6 manufacture the quantitive ratiosbetween the difi'crent grades (coarse, line, etc.) are more or less fixedand cannotbe varied sufliciently to meet the varying demands throughout the different seasons. a0 larly it has 'been im ossible, with the systerns heretofore use to produce a. sufliciently large proportion of relatively coarse salt to meet; the demand for the coarser grades. For example, salt made by the well-known vacuum-pan method, involving eva ration of brine and the precipitation of t 0 salt in a closed, vessel under partial vacuum, is composed substantially wholly of fine or stals. Likewise in an Alberger in eastern w ere the t en dashed to crystals produced in 'the flasher are all small.

-,Salt made by the common grain'er method, which involves heating brine in a shallow pan to. precipitate the salt, is not as the as vacu'umpan or Alberger salt, but it is so soft and flaky that it packs and hardens under unfavorable conditions.

It has been proposed to combine the grainer and vacuum-pan processes by means of a system having a vacuum an connected to a miner so that instead of precipitating t 2* salt in the vacuum pan the Particubrine is superheated'and' precipitate the salt, the,

cipitate crystals of difierent c vacuum pan delivers into the grainer where both vacuum-pan and grainer salt are precipitated, thegrainer being heated as usual to evaporate and precipitate independently said to produce a union between the vacuum-pan and gramer crystals so as to atford'salt differing from vacuum-pan salt and also from grainer salt, but at. best this union is erratic and leaves too much fine salt I which does not unite. 4 The principal objects of the present invention are' to overcome the diliiculties incident to the rior systems and to provide a system Whic is capable of producing a larger proportion of coarse salt' and which is adapted readily to vary the relative quantities of the ditl'erent grades of salt produced, and which at the same-timeeliminates to a large degree the uneconomical 'grainer production and is therefore more satisfactory in respect to economy of operation. 'Another object isto provide-a sy'stom which, in its installation, is adapted to utilize many elements of apparatus ordinarily used in salt plants, so that old sys terns can be readily changed over tooperate according to the present nvention.

In contradlstinction .to the aforesaid-and other prior salt systems and methods the present invention is characterized as follows: Into hot brine, which is substantially saturated, is introduced fine crystals of salt,

and these crystals are knitted together by crystallization of the concentrated brine.

The hot concentrated brine is preferably produced by circulating brine through a closed circuit '(i e. an endless circuit or completecycle) and heating the brine in a portion of the circuit in-advance of the place wh'qge the salt crystalsare introduced. The

fineprystals'may he introduced in various .ways, as for example by sprinkling dry crystals into the hot brine while in an o 11 pan, but they are preferably introduce in suspension n saturated brine drawn directly from an ordinary vacuum pan.v

More particularly the inventionfis characterized in that two'hriues adapted to prearacter respectively, are mixed together in ed vessel and. difierent crystals to lmit together and form an unheat led, thereby causing the a built-up salt. Thecooli'ng may be effected b mennauradiation and the more or less connection being indicated in thedrawings s ight evaporation which takes place, but. it as C. As showp in the drawings steam is I} Ereferabl effected by artificial means supplied to the vacuum-pan through the s c as coo ing ip'es, One of the brines pipe S'controlled by valve 21, the pipe S' has crystals of salt suspended therein, pref-; connecting with the exhaust of another erably before the brines are mixed, the brine-"vacuum pan in multiple-effect operation. serving merely'as a carrier for the crystals Another steam connection is shown 'at S in suspension therein; and 'the'other' brine controlled by valve 20, this connection being heating and then flashing under such conheater H is preferably heated by live steam preferably has no crystals formed therein used if desired as a secondary source as here until after the brines are mixed, the latter inafter described. Brine may be supplied brine merely bring concentrated, preferably to the pan V through either pipe 11 or pipe to the point of saturation. 6', these pipes beingcontrolled by valves 22 The crystals suspended injthe first brine and 23 respectively. Brine is conducted, t ed together by e salt from the from the bottom of the pan through pipes-12 concentrated brine as it crystallizes from and 13, P representing 'a centrifugal pump the brine'durin the cooling process. The for producing a flow of the brine 1n the db crystals in the rst brine are preferlb of 'rection of the'arrow in ipe 12. vacuumj; an character, that is, either Yacuum pan crystals or similar c 9.13. 'Fonex'ample', the crystals my lie for fllisllin as in the Alberger system t thls brine to pipe 3, the heater having steam metho is less economical. The cqn'cen- I pipes adapted to-receive steam through contrated brine is preferably formed by super- -nection '5 controlled by valve 24. The

brine comprises a heaterditions'of pressure and=tem ratureithat the .nntl'preferably heats the brine to a temperabrine i5 delivered to ill m g kn ng ture somewhat above the boiling point, for panel; approximately boiling tem ra'ture example. about 230 F. The brine from the (226. if operating at' tmospherlcpresheater is delivered through pipe 3 to the sure), and substantiali vacuum-panbrine or at e brine isprefer' thercbv concentrating the brine. the flasher The means for producin the concentrated adaptedto reby ceive brine from pipe 2 and to deliver the saturated. The flasherv F where it is permitted to flash,

till

ably much cooler at the instant of Inixin F preferably operating at atmospheric pressay F, when operating it atmospheric sure. A valve 25. may be employed in the,

' 'pipe 3 to regulate the flow and pressure of pressure in the mixing receptacle-or 'an.

The mixing or knitting pan ispre erlbly' the brine before it reaches the flashers A I a separate and distinct receptacle, the -two centrifugahpump is'indicnted at P for probrines first separately treated and ducing a circulation of the brine thro'p h these intr uced into the miiringpan to the henter Hand for producing the slig t gether. A pressure in the heater required to superheat In the preformed embodiment of the 'inthe brine'to the desired temperature (230 ention. emb dying a vacuum pub and a F. in the example'mentioned). The steam fiashe'r'system for producing the bri e with produced in the flasher F is preferably emcrystsis insuspension and .conce trated pioyed to heat the vacuum-pan V and the brine respectively, the flasher syste and flasher is therefore shown as connecting from vacuuurpari eac preferably comprises a thetop through pipe S with the steam incompletebrine-circulating circuit. the knitlet of the vacuum-pan, thereby affording ting pan being common to the wo circui s. another multiple effect in addition to the Moreover, the vacuum-pan may be. and pretmultiple effect obtained by operating a haterably is, the last element of a multiple cftery of pans V in series. However. it is to fact system. be understood that the vacuunrpau may be In order clearly to disclose the nature of )art-ially or wholly heated by other steam. the invention the u-eferred embodiment is or example, the pan V 'inay be the last shown by way of i lustration in the accompan of a multiple eil'ect system such as panying drawings in which the single iigcommonly used in salt plants, in tvhich case ure shows the system diagrammatically. the pan receives a part or all of its heating In the illustrated system, the means for steam or vapor from the preceding pan of producing the brine containing the, small the system through connection S controlled crystals comprises the vacuum-pan V. by valve 21 or other suitable connection. While this pan is shown conventionally in The knitting pan of the system may he the drawings. it is to be understood'that it either open or closed and of any desired ordinarily comprises a chamber having shape and form, but it is preferably an steam pipes extending therethrough or other open pan as illustrated at K. If it is demeans for heating the brine contained theresired to cool the brine in the pan K more in. The ves'selis closedand Qrdinai'ilyconrapidly than would result from Xfldlfltl 0[\, nects at the top with'a condenser for formthe cooling pipes C or other suitable cooling inga partial vacuum therein, the condenser means may be employed. When the heated too ' to the point of saturation brine is introduced in the pan K at the right-hand end and delivered from the lefthand end, as illustrated in the drawin the cooling fluid circulated throu h 51 s pipes C is preferably introduced at t e lefthand end and delivered from the right-hand end, as indicated by the arrows, so that the cold fluid entering the ipe Wlll first pass through the cooler portion of the brine in the pan and as it absorbs heat in passing through the pipe C, it will come into hotter brine as it approaches the right-hand end of the pun. In this way the difference between the temperature of the cooling fluid in the pipe C and the surrounding brine .may be maintained more nearly constant throughout the len h of the pan.

Rakes R -are pre erably employed in the pan K, rakes of usual construction being shown in the drawings'beneath the-pipcs C. These rakes not only serve to remove the built-up salt which precipitates in the pan, but they also serve to agitate the brine in the pan, thereby effecting a more thorough intermingling of the salt'crystals and the saturated brine.

Inasmuch as the preferredform of the invention comprises complete circuits for both brinesQsuchan arrangement-has been shown in.the figure. The complete circuit of the vacuum-panbrine comprises the pan =K, pipe 11, vacuum-pan V,-pipe 12,;pu

P, pipe 13, and thence back to the pan The heating and concentrating circuit comarises the P K, P p r mp firr p heater H, pipe 3, flasher F, pipe 4, and thence back to the pan K. Thus the pan K is common to both circuits. a In operation, brine from the vacuum-pan V,jcarrying salt crystals in suspension, flows to the knitting an K simultaneousl with the inflow of brine from-the flasher the latter brine preferably being concentrated carrying only a small amount, if any, crystals suspended therein. The brine from the flasher F is preferably at least of the order of 50 per cent hotter than the brine from the vacuuman V. For example, the flasher brinemay he 226 F. when the vacuurn-pan brineis 135- F." When the two brines of difi'erent'temperatures mix upon entering the pan K, the flasher brine is rapid] cooled, thereby causing salt to crystalize therefrom and knit the crystals of the vacuum-pan brine. together. This knittin action is augmented b the coolixllg of the/ rins in passing throng the pan To efl'ect this cooling, cooling fluid may be circulated through the pipe C but for certain conditions of operation the brine will cool sufllciently rapidly by radiation in the pan K, the rate of flow through the pan being relatively slow and by evaporation.

To compensate for the evaporation in the v in' t "oneor both of the. brines, varyin the tem- .perature of the knitting pan or t cooling therein, va

t preferablyrainer pans are always heated, whereas the finitting pan K is unheated and may be artificially cooled. It will also be evident that the flasher circuit comprising the the ordinary grainer pan, inasmuch as.

heater H and flasher F preferably produces no salt (except in the pan K) but is merely a heating and concentrating circuit, the brine being only slightly superheated in the heater H and being permitted to flash in the flasher F only a small amount required to bring the brine substantially to the poiiit of saturation.

The salt produced accordin to the present invention will not rea ily pack orharden underunfavorable atmospheric con ditions, but at the same time thegrains are of such character as readily to dissolve in use. i

In orderto regulate the character of the salt produced,- thes stem ma be adjusted in yarious ways, as or examp e, by varyin the roportions ofthe two brines introduced lie pan K, varying the temperature of centration of the rine delivered to the knitting pan from the heating and concentration-circuit, etc, etc. For example, the knitting action is accelerated and the reins of salt are thereby increased in size 5 creasing the temperature of the flasher rine relative to the vacuum-pan brine, b celerating the rate of cooling in the knitting pan, and by increasing the degree of con-;

centration of the flasher brine, An average grade of salt may be produced with the concentrate'd'brine at a temperature of 226 F. and the vacuum-pan brine at 125 F.

A feature of this invention is it economy. While the salt is b'uilt-u and precipitated in a cooled pan where t ere is necessarily considerable waste heat, practically all of the salt is crystallized out (as fine crystals) e rate of j 'ng the degree of con 10 in the vacuum-pan portion of the system which operates at very high efliciency es pecially when operating multiple-effect.

The present invention not only eliminates to a large degree the use of the old uneconomical grainers, which have been used in the effort to produce-coarser salt, but it is capable of yielding coarse salt in much larger proportion and of better quality.

The invention may be utilized not onl to increase the proportion of coarse sat yielded during the precipitation but also to convert-fine salt already made into coarsersalt, For example, the excess fine salt which has accumulatedin a plant owing to lack of demand may be built-up into coarse salt by sprinkling it into a knitting pan operated as herein described.

The term salt crystals as herein employed, is not intended to connote individual crystals but rather articles of salt whether composed of indivi uals crystalsor a plurality of individual crystals united together."

I claim:

1. The art of making salt which com-' prises producing brine containing salt crystals, producin concentrated brinecontain 3. The art of iniikingr salt which comprises 7 flasher- Pl'OdllCiflgZ a. brine whosenatural deposit is producing a solution containing salt crystals,

- salt' cry stals of a diti'erent character, and

coolin the two hrines in intermingled relations ip .to causethe crystals of the two characterslto knit to ther.

4., The artotini a ing saltwhich com-.

prises c'oolin'g afhfeated mixture of brine which has been given thevva'cuum an type of treatment'withbrinefwhich lies been givenlthe' flasher system type of treatment,

whereby to cause crystals of the respective brines to knit together.

5. The art of making salt which com;

prises producimf1 concentrated brines otdifferent types in ilierent receptacles,' m1x1ng the brines, and cooling the mixture in an-i other receptacle to cause or stals from the difl'erent brines to knit toget er.

6. The art of making salt which comprises treating brine by the flasher-system, separately treating brine by a system of different character, and mixing the brines, with the flasher-system brine eta higher tempera: time than the other brine, the flasher-system brine having approximately boiling telnperature at the instant of mixing! 7. The art of makin the brines, with the flasher-systembrine at salt which comprises treating brine by the usher-system, treating. brine by the vacuum-pan system, and mixing.

approximately the boiling temperature and with the vacuum-pan brine at a much lower temperature.

8. The art of making salt which comprises feeding to a common pan brine from and 000 iystem and brine from a vacuum-pan, mg the brmes 1n the common pan.

9. The art of making salt which ,OOIIL- prises feeding to a common pan bri'ne fromv a flasher-system at a temperature of the;

order of 226 and brine froma vacuum-pan at a tem era-tare of the order of 135", and

cooling t e brines in the common pan..-

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts,

.of March, 1921.

this twenty-eighth day 1 CHAS.L.WEIL. 

